Awake My Soul
by queenspice
Summary: yandere!Makoto x tsundere!reader *finished*
1. Chapter 1

**{AN} This is my first Free fanfic and I hope everyone likes it!**

I sighed and looked up at the clock, wishing for the day to be over. There were only a few more minutes left of class, but I felt as if I had been sitting in my chair for days. I wanted nothing more than to go home and finally get away from the idiots that surrounded me. I didn't mind the school work I was given for homework, but the people around me are what made my day unbearable because they were incredibly stupid.

Five minutes. I had five minutes left. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, unfortunately listening to the gossip around me. The girls behind me were talking about makeup and the guys beside me were talking about the upcoming Sports Day.

Three minutes. I turned my gaze out of the window, happy that I was given the privilege to sit where I sat. I had the perfect view of the courtyard below us, and I was able to soak up some sun.

One minute. My leg decided to bounce up and down with anticipation.

The clock signaled the end of class finally, and I sighed in relief as I stood up and collected my things to put in my backpack. I gracefully flowed out of the classroom with the other third years, all too happy to leave.

When I reached the front school gate, I realized I left my cell phone in the classroom. I didn't particularly need it, but I turned around and headed back into school anyway to get the damned thing. I reached the classroom and slid the door open to discover my phone wasn't on top of my desk anymore. I walked across the room and looked at the ground to see no sign of the small item.

"Huh," I said to myself as I stood up and headed back towards the door. It wasn't a very useful thing to keep and people didn't really ever send me anything of value but it was mine.

I looked all around myself in the hallway and didn't see it. I headed back towards the front school gates to make sure I didn't drop it, and didn't see it either. It wasn't until I walked across the open door to a certain room did I hear something about a cell phone.

"...Yeah, I found this cell phone in the hallway," one voice said.

"Nagisa!" Another voice chided the first. "Turn it in!"

"It's a piece of crap anyway," the first voice said.

I walked through the door to find myself in the pool room. There were only a few people there, and I turned my eyes towards them. I recognized the group of boys as some of the members of the swim team. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and saw the shortest boy of the group holding my phone as he spoke to the tallest member and the quiet one.

"That _piece of crap_ belongs to me," I said.

The boy, I think his name was Hazuki or something, turned to me. "Ah! Senpai! It's yours?"

"That is what I said," I told him. "Give it back."

"If you want it then come and get it," the blonde held the phone between his index finger and his thumb over the glistening pool water.

"Give it back, Nagisa," the tallest one, Tachibana, told Hazuki.

"Give it back," I said as my feet moved towards him. When he didn't move, I reached for the phone and he moved it out of my grasp. "Give it back, kid," I said.

"Don't call me 'kid'," Hazuki said.

"Don't take my cell phone," I shot back to him.

"I didn't take it, I found it," he told me.

I took a step towards the boy and reached for my phone. Once again, he moved it out of my grasp and I suddenly lost my balance. I barely had time to react when my body suddenly met the ice cold water. I could feel the liquid encase my whole being as I hit the shallow bottom of the pool. Thank God it was the shallow end. I didn't know how to swim.

"Senpai!" the blonde one called out to me as I stood to my feet.

"Are you okay, senpai?" Tachibana asked me as he held out a hand to me. I smacked it away and crawled out of the water.

I could hear Hazuki saying apologizes over and over as I glared at him. I was taller than he was and cast my fury down at him. That was the most embarrassing thing I have ever been a part of.

"I'm so sorry senpai! I didn't think you would fall into the water!" he said as he bowed his head.

I yanked my phone out of his grasp and headed for the door.

"Wait!" Tachibana said behind me. He strode ahead of me and blocked me from leaving the room. "You can't walk out of here soaking wet!"

I turned my glare towards him and said, "Watch me."

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No."

"Let me help!" he said.

I craned my head to meet his eyes and said, "Your friend helped me enough. I want to go home." I walked around Tachibana and exited the room.

Ugh, I couldn't believe that happened. I needed to go home and dry myself off and- ah! I realized I wore my backpack when I fell! I had to deal with that as well. I continued to grumble as I headed home.

Makoto didn't know what to do when he heard Nagisa had found a cell phone. He told the blonde to take it to the office, but Nagisa had other plans. He rolled his eyes after realizing he couldn't tell him what to do.

When he saw her come into the classroom, he froze. It was [last name] [first name], a third year, and probably the school's worst tsundere. At least, that's what he heard other people say. Makoto wasn't one to pay attention to gossip, but he had seen the girl around school and could definitely say she was aloof.

She didn't talk to many people and she didn't like it when other people touched her, he learned that much from his peers. She was very good when it came to academics, but people just weren't her specialty.

Which is why, when Nagisa teased her, Makoto felt guilty. He felt like the blonde should have just given it to her. He felt especially bad when their senpai fell into the pool. He thought initially that she had hurt herself since it was the shallow end in which she fell, but she was walking just fine when she left the room.

"Way to go," Haru said quietly after she left.

"Nagisa, don't ever do that again," Makoto said when he joined the others.

"I didn't think she would fall into the water!" Nagisa said. "I said I'm sorry!"

"Yeah yeah," Makoto said. "Let's just go on with our practice."


	2. Chapter 2

**{AN} Yay two chapters in one night!**

The next day I walked into the school courtyard and was immediately greeted by two bowed heads.

"We're sorry senpai!" two voices chorused together at the same time.

I arched an eyebrow and rolled my eyes. "Tachibana-kun, Hazuki-kun. Stand up." The two boys respectively straightened their backs and Nagisa came close to me. Too close for my liking. I could have reached out and touched him without extending my arm as far as it could go.

"I'm so so so sorry, senpai! I didn't mean for you to go into the water!" he said, giving me the most pathetic look.

"Back away from me and we'll call it even, 'kay?" I said.

Nagisa walked backwards from me and I felt a sense of peace immediately. "I have to go...uh...over there and find Haru!" he said quickly under my intense gaze. I watched as the boy left Makoto and I alone.

I looked up at the giant in front of me and frowned when he smiled. "I understand why he apologized," I motioned in the direction in which Nagisa left, "but why did you? You didn't do anything."

"I'm sorry for not catching you before you fell," Makoto said.

"I understand why you didn't catch me," I told him as I stared at the crease between his eyebrows. "You were in shock, probably."

"Yes but...I should have made sure you were okay before you left."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes again. "I'm okay," I said.

"How are the things from your backpack?"

"Destroyed. I need to talk to the teacher before class begins."

"Maybe Nagisa should tell him what happened," Makoto raised a hand to his chin as he thought over his words.

"No!" I said. "No, no! I don't need Hazuki-kun to do anything like that! I'll take care of it," I stepped around Makoto and said, "Have a good day."

Makoto dropped the hand from his chin and smiled at me. "Same to you, senpai."

I tried to shake off the weird feeling that grew in my being as I walked to class. I wondered why Makoto smiled when he talked to me. Most people didn't smile when they had conversations with me. Most people didn't have conversations with me, period. It didn't bother me, though. I quite enjoyed not being the center of attention.

All thoughts concerning Makoto Tachibana were completely out of my mind when I walked into the classroom.

I didn't see Makoto again until the weekend came. I was in a cafe, waiting to order a drink for myself. When it was my turn to order, I said the same thing I always do when I'm ordering caffeine. "I want whatever drink you have that has the most sugar."

The girl across the counter eyes my face before writing it down and telling me how much to pay. "Excuse me for saying this miss, but you look really cute today," she told me.

I could feel my face turning red as I looked down at the ground. "Thanks," I told her.

"You're welcome," she said. "Your drink will be done soon."

I nodded my head and took a step back- bumping right into someone. "Oh, sorry," I said as I turned to be met with a chest. I looked up to find myself looking into a pair of familiar eyes. "Tachibana-kun?"

"Senpai!" the aforementioned boy smiled at me. "It's nice seeing you here."

"Uh-huh," I said. When my drink was ready, I quickly grabbed it and walked to the condiments table. I took a few packets of sugar and a spoon with me to an empty table. I began my usual routine and started pouring the sugar packets into my drink.

"Are you really going to drink that?" a voice above me asked. I looked up at Makoto.

"No, I plan to pour it on the nearest plant," I said as I stirred the concoction in front of me. "Of course I plan on drinking it."  
"Mind if I sit here?" he motioned to the chair in front of me.

The first reaction that comes to mind is me telling him no, but then again, who was I to say that? It was just a seat and he probably wanted company. Though why he would seek company from _me _of all people is completely out of my mind's grasp. I simply shrugged to give him and answer and said, "I don't make the rules. Do what you want."

I watched as he took the seat across from me. I didn't want to just stare at him so I turned my gaze out of the window as I brought my coffee to my lips. The taste of exploded on my tongue in the best way possible. Ahh, perfect.

"Are you participating in anything on Sports' Day?" Makoto asked me. I turned towards him and looked at the plaid shirt he wore.

"Unfortunately," I bit out.

"I am, too. Fortunately!" he said, giving me another smile.

"How do you do that?" I wondered. It took me a few seconds to realize I asked that out loud.

"Do what?" he asked, looking completely confused. His face reminded me of a puppy's.

"Is it just for me? Or do you do that to everyone?"

"_Do _what?" he repeated.

"Smile," I said. "Why do you do it so often?"

He shrugged simply and said, "Maybe it's because of you, I don't know."

I nearly choked on my drink. "What?"

"Do I do it to everyone? Not _everyone_, but some people, yeah. I think I do it a lot for you, though. I'm not sure...You don't have to look so disgusted."

"Yes I do," I argued.

Makoto laughed then. It was a light sound, and I wasn't sure I heard it correctly, but his shoulders were shaking. "Oh, senpai..." he trailed off.

"What?" I asked harshly, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Nothing," he said. There was that smile again. I couldn't figure it out. I shook my head slightly and focused my eyes on my drink.

"Oh!" Makoto said, interrupting my peace and quiet. Just when I thought he was done talking, he asked me something else. "What did your teacher say about your destroyed homework?"

"He gave me a replacement," I answered him curtly.

"I'm surprised you're talking to me. I thought you were just going to ignore me since I sat down," the tall boy across from me said out of nowhere.

"How can I ignore you? Your voice is right in front of me and it's obnoxious," I said as I leaned back in my chair.

Makoto smiled slightly again as he leaned back in his own chair. My god! Was his face broken or something? Why was he smiling? I wouldn't even smile if I were talking to me.

I looked outside the window when I heard a clash of thunder. "Oh no, it's raining," I said when drops of rain started pelting from the sky.

"Hmmm," Makoto said as he rested his elbow on the table and put his chin on his hand.

"I'm going home," I said as I stood to my feet.

"Now?" Makoto asked.

"Yes now," I said before going towards the front door before the boy could say anything. I walked out under the hanging overhead outside the cafe and watched the rain pour down.

"Senpai," a voice said behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know it was Makoto.

"Did I say you could follow me?" I asked.

"I thought you said you don't make the rules?" the boy shot back at me as he stood beside me.

Hmph.

"Besides, I want to go home as well," he continued.

"Okay," I said as I took a step forward. I couldn't go any further for Makoto had grasped my shoulder in his hand. "Hey!" I immediately protested.

"It's raining. Don't you want to wait until it passes up?"

"No." I was an impatient person and couldn't wait that long.

"I won't let you go in that rain," he told me.

"I don't care what you won't and will let me do!" I said as I turned to face him. "You don't make the rules either."

Makoto sighed and the hand on my shoulder was dropped. "Can't you see someone is worried about your health?"

"You don't need to be worried," I said, looking away from his eyes. "I can take care of myself. I have been for-" I stopped myself from revealing too much. God, I was such an idiot.

"For how long?" Makoto asked. His voice dropped down into an unrecognizable one. I said nothing and he repeated himself. "[last name]- senpai. How long have you been taking care of yourself?" His voice was no longer the same one he used before. Before, his voice was sweet and caring and annoying; in that moment, it was still annoying, but it sounded darker and more serious.

"It's nothing, Tachibana-kun," I said, turning my body towards the pouring rain. I couldn't detect my own voice. I think I sounded vulnerable and that was scary. "Don't ask me such questions and stop talking to me. It's for your own good that I'm saying that."

* * *

I watched as my senpai walked out into the rain by herself. I badly wanted to force her to stay under the overhead in front of the cafe until the rain lightened up a little, but there was only so much I could do. I had thought that I was breaking down a wall the famous third year tsundere put up for her peers, but when she started to say something certain, I knew my efforts didn't go far. She started to mention something about taking care of herself, and I wanted her to finish her statement, but she did not.

As I watched her fleeting figure disappear into the distance, I realized that I did not want that moment to be the last moment I had with her. I wanted to talk to her more and get her to open up to me. Why, though? Why did I feel that way? She made it clear for me to leave her alone, but...I didn't think I could. No, I knew I couldn't. I wouldn't.

I noticed her already.

But I had to think up ways to get her to notice me too, didn't I?

**{AN} I hope you guys like this chapter as well as the MC. **


	3. Chapter 3

"Achoo!" I sneezed for the fifth time the day after I walked through the rain. I really didn't think I'd catch a cold after all that, but there I was sitting by myself on the rooftop during lunch, sneezing.

"Achoo!" There goes the sixth time.

I heard someone close the door behind me and I looked back to see Makoto Tachibana walking towards me while carrying a paper bag. He sat on the ground beside me as if it was the most natural thing. I shot him a look as he began pulling out items from the bag and setting them in front of himself.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I arched an eyebrow. I thought I told him to leave me alone."

Eating lunch with you," he said. He shot me a smile and added, "you don't make the rules, right?"

"…Do whatever you want-" I turned my head and sneezed again, cutting off myself. When I turned forward, Makoto was holding out a medium-sized Styrofoam bowl in front of me. I looked up at him and he was only giving me a sweet smile.

?

Makoto realized I wasn't going to say anything, and he told me, "You didn't bring lunch, right senpai? Here, have this soup. It's perfect for your cold."

"I…I…uh…"

"Take it," he held it closer to me.

"I suppose I have to do something in return for this, right?" I asked as I slowly took it from him.

"Yes," he said. "Recover."

"Why, though?" I wondered as Makoto handed me a plastic spoon.

"Because," he said simply as he faced forward and began eating his own food.

I made no movement and Makoto said, "Just enjoy it, okay? Let me give that to you. It's just soup from the cafeteria."

"Thank…you," I said as I gingerly opened the lid of the cup. The aroma of freshly made soup wafted up to my nose and my mouth nearly watered. I dipped the spoon into the thick liquid that held a mixture of vegetables and brought it to my lips. It tasted better than I imagined it would and I smiled to myself. Remembering that I wasn't alone, I looked to my left to see Makoto was watching me. "W-What?" I asked as I turned away when my face started to grow hot.

"Nothing," Makoto said as he smiled his usual smile. "I'm glad you like the soup."

"I…do."

"Great," Makoto's smile grows into a full-blown grin and I find it to be too overwhelming. I look away from his face. Makoto was too…_perfect _for me to look at. He had the face, smile, and body of a God. He was so much greater than myself; I felt that I shouldn't stare.

What was happening to me? He was one year younger than I was! I shouldn't have been thinking about those things. Makoto needed to be sitting with someone more appropriate for him during lunch, not me. I wanted to tell him that and I turned to look at him. All I could think was that he looked peaceful, and I couldn't bear to take that peace away.

"Senpai? Why are you staring at me?" he wondered.

I wondered the same thing.

"N-N-Nothing," I said, looking away from him. I decided to eat my soup in silence as I tried not to talk much for the rest of lunch.

After that day, I began to see Makoto more often. He would sit with me during lunch (even though I told him over and over to leave me alone) and would sometimes wait for me after school to tell me to have a good day. As much as I hated to admit it, I slowly began to expect him to be there all the time. I realized that Makoto was like the sun. People tended to genuinely gravitate towards him without noticing it because of who he was. I think I was one of those people.

The time for the school's Sport's Day arrived. I took a seat with the other third years when I heard someone call my name. "[first name]- senpai! Over here!" I turned my head to find a bouncing blonde.

"Nagisa-kun," I said in acknowledgement. _Please leave me alone_.

"Are you excited for today?!" he asked me, looking similar to a puppy who wanted to play fetch with its master.

"Not really."

"I am! The second years are totally going to win!" he said, pointing at himself proudly and giving me a wink.

"Probably," I agreed in a deadpan voice.

Nagisa grinned at me and then moved in my direction. Before I could do anything, he reached towards me. I squeezed my eyes and felt something warm on my head. I opened my eyes to find that Nagisa was laying his hand on my head.

My mind screamed at me to push him away, but my body did nothing. I think I was shocked. I haven't had anyone touch me like that in a very long time. I almost forgot what it felt like to have someone pat my head. I looked at Nagisa who was a tiny bit shorter than I was.

"You're not so scary, are you?" he asked suddenly.

That question caught me off guard and I winced.

Another hand suddenly pushed Nagisa's off of my head. I looked to find Makoto standing there, giving the shorter boy an unhappy look. Some might say it was a glare, but I wasn't too sure because it disappeared from his face as fast as it appeared. "Nagisa," he said in a deeper voice than his usual easygoing one. "Let's go join the other second years."

Something told Nagisa to obey and he nodded. "Bye-bye [first name]-chan!" he said, giving me a small wave before heading off.

I felt my face turn red as Makoto turned to me. "Don't you refer to me as chan too!" I said to the tall boy. "I don't like it!"

"I won't senpai," he said, giving me a smile. "Good luck out there! Don't get hurt, okay? I'm going to the second years."

"Go on then," I muttered to myself as I watched him walk away.

Chan?! I mean, really? That boy couldn't address me as his senpai? Oooooh that kid! I had to stay away from that bubbly personality. It was creeping me out.

I shook my head and tried to pay attention to the sports going on.

When the time came for me to participate, I stood in a line amongst the other students who were part in the track race. Track was the last one of the day. I had to run as the anchor for the third years. I had to admit it was pretty nerve wracking watching the first round of students run the first half of the track. The girl who was to give me the wand was running at top speed, and was much faster than the others. I think she was actually on the track team. Go figure.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I waited for it to be my turn. The back of my neck was sweating and I found it odd because I had tied my long hair into a bun before I came to the track. As I watched the girl approach me, my heartbeat increased even more. I held my hand out for her to pass me the wand, and as soon as I felt the object rest in my palm, I sped off.

My legs pumped under me at an incredible speed. Now, I was more comfortable being at home than out playing sports, but that didn't mean I was a terrible runner. In fact, I thought I was pretty good. I could hear the third year students cheer my name as I raced down the isle I was in. Funny, I wasn't quite sure anyone would even _know _my name.

Yes, I was in the lead but that didn't last long because some poor girl tripped behind me. I looked back at her and was moving before my mind could comprehend what I was doing. I headed towards the girl, whom I guessed was a second year. "Get up!" I said. She didn't move, but she did look at me like I was speaking a foreign language. "Come on you idiot!" I pulled her to her feet as I scolded her, sounding harsh. It wasn't my fault she was dumb. When she was finally standing, I wasted no time in continuing on. I noticed that one of the boys from a younger year was in the lead. I crossed the line in second place (barely) and immediately rested my hands on my knees. I was panting a little bit, not quite used to having moved my legs like that. I hadn't run that fast in a long time.

The boy who won suddenly appeared in my line of vision. I straightened my back and looked him in the eye.

"Senpai," he addressed me. "I'm handing you the win for this one."

The gym teacher overheard those words and approached us. "Are you sure about this?" he asked the boy. I wished I knew his name, but I didn't.

The boy nodded. "Senpai was in first place to begin with, but she went back to help Cho up. She didn't have to do that, but she did it anyway. The winner for track should be the third years."

I sighed in acknowledgment and bent down to sit on the ground because my legs were burning, but someone suddenly wrapped their arms around me and lifted me off the ground. I was swung in a circle much to my displeasure.

"Wahh! Let me go!" I looked back to see it was one of the popular guys from my class.

"We won because of you!" he cheered me on and then slung an arm around my shoulders as he started laughing in joy.

"Please let me go," I said quietly.

"Tsundere-ing at it's finest!" he said to me, undisturbed, as he released his hold on me.

"Senpai," a voice said quietly behind me. I turned around to see Makoto was gently smiling down at me.

"Tachibana-kun," I said.

"Good job out there. It was nice of you to help Cho up."

"Yeah well," I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't do things like that for everyone."

Makoto suddenly stopped smiling and then mumbled a question. I think it was a question, at least. All I heard was, "...For me?"

"What did you say?" I asked.

"Nothing," Makoto said louder, giving me another smile. He placed his warm hand on my head, like Nagisa did earlier.

I compared Makoto's touch to Nagisa's. When Nagisa touched me, it felt like a brother patting his little sister's head, but when Makoto touched me, it was like he was touching something fragile. Maybe I was imagining it, but it felt like Makoto took care when he laid a hand on me. He didn't pat my head nor stroke my hair; he just laid his hand on me. It was more than enough to send my heart beating irregularly.

Sport's Day came and went quickly. I enjoyed being a part of it, but I must admit that I enjoyed seeing [first name] participate in track. I had no idea she was a decent runner, and apparently neither did the whole school because everyone around me started whispering about her. I felt uncomfortable the whole time I listened to the conversations around me. They talked about her and her running abilities. I wanted nothing more than to tell them to stop it, but I did nothing because I was too focused on her. When she helped Cho stand up, the crowd became silent.

Never did I imagine she would help someone else out of her own free will. Part of me was glad that she showed a little bit of kindness, but the other part of me felt unhappy. If people saw how nice she really was under that cold exterior, they would swarm her more often and that would mean I wouldn't be able to spend any more time with her alone.

I enjoyed being with her. I loved being with the older girl, plain and simple. Being near her brought a natural smile to my face. When I caught the glimpses of her that she didn't let anyone else see, it made my heart beat fiercely in his chest. When she said something sweet she didn't mean to, when she stuttered, when she backtracked her speeches, when she blushed, when she showed her tough side but also her cute side, and when she demonstrated how smart she was- all of it just made me want even more. I didn't know what was happening to me, but I was glad it was happening. It sounded cliché, but hell, I didn't care. She was the only girl I ever met who made me feel the way I felt.

I could only hope she would feel the same way. Did her heart beat quickly when I was with her? Did she like seeing my face? I wondered many questions about this girl, but there was no way I would have known the answers fully. She was such a mystery.

The next day came, and I saw her again. In the morning, she walked into my class to give the teacher a stack of papers. She didn't look at the students once until Cho, the girl she helped the day before, stood up.

"S-Senpai!" Cho called for the girl before she could leave the room.

Senpai turned to look at her. She wore her signature hard stare as she waited for Cho to say what she wanted.

Cho continued to stutter as she talked to our senpai. "I-I wanted to say," Cho bowed low at her hips, catching [first name] completely off guard, "thank you for helping me yesterday!"

[First name]'s face immediately grew red as she looked away. She gently tugged at her skirt and touched her long hair. "It wasn't anything worth thanking me for but...you're welcome," she said quietly. With that, and much to the class's shock, [first name] turned on her heel and left the class.

As Cho returned to her seat, everyone started saying exactly what I've been thinking the whole time. "She's so...cute!"

I smiled because I already knew that.

"Maybe she and I can be friends!" one girl said on the other side of the room.

Oh no. No no no that wouldn't be good. I didn't want anyone getting close to my senpai. I wanted her for myself. I knew that was a selfish want, but I didn't care. I would be as selfish as possible when it came to [name]. For the rest of class, I contemplated what I could do to keep her to myself.

**{AN} I hope you guys liked this chapter**


	4. Chapter 4

A few weeks passed since Sports' Day. During those weeks, more and more people tried to communicate with me, but I didn't usually try to keep that communication up. It wasn't that I was trying to be rude, but I just didn't really see the point of talking to more people than one person.

I'm sure you already figured out that I'm referring to Makoto.

Yes, the gentle giant that everyone adored just so happened to be the only one I was truly comfortable around. I mean, I could carry on conversations with a few others, including the others on the swim team, but it was always just Makoto.

Somewhere in those weeks, I realized that I was in love with him. I couldn't explain why, except just that Makoto was the one for me. Did I tell him that? No way in hell. I couldn't tell him that. He would probably find it weird, so I decided to keep my new found realization to myself.

One day I was leaving school when classes were over, and was stopped by the tall boy himself.

"Hey senpai!" he said, blocking my path. He wore his usual grin on his face.

"Hi," I said. I said nothing else because a short girl appeared next to us. I turned to look at her and she appeared to be trembling. Thinking I was the reason, I turned my gaze to the ground by my feet.

"U-Um, Makoto-senpai," the girl said in a shaky voice. So she was a first year.

"Hey," he greeted her. I looked up at his face just in time to see he was giving her a smile, but it wasn't as wide as the one he gave me. To me, he looked like he thought she was a nuisance, but that could have been my own eyes playing a trick.

"C-Can I ask you something in private?" she asked. Her eyes flickered to me and I immediately understood.

"I'll leave you two alone then," I said as I started to back away.

"Can you wait for me?" Makoto asked me.

I nodded and stopped walking to watch Makoto and the first year head to a more secluded area. I realized I was staring at them from a distance, and I turned around to look at something else. I felt like I was burning a hole in a nearby spot on the ground when Makoto tapped my shoulder, indicating he was done talking to the first class girl.

"I'm back!" he said.

"I see," I said in return.

We automatically began leaving the school together when I asked a question. "What happened to the shrimp?"

Makoto chuckled and said, "She headed off in another direction."

"What did she want to ask you about?" As soon as the question left my mouth, I turned my head away from Makoto to hide my face. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that."

"No, it's fine. All she did was confess to me."

"W-What?" I stutter and feel my face grow hot quickly. "Why would you say that so c-casually? And why is she not with you? Why are you not with her? She's cute!"

"Look at me senpai," Makoto said in a low, sweet voice. I finally turn my head to look at him and hope that my face calmed down. Makoto gave me a smile that was like no other he gave me before. It was so sweet, I felt like I couldn't stare at him, but I also couldn't look away. Makoto said his next words carefully and quietly, "I can't look at anyone other than the one girl I already have my eyes on."

"W-W-W-W-" I couldn't form coherent words as my face grew hot again. Damn! That is embarrassing. "W-What do you-"

"[first name]-senpai," he said as he started to lean down towards me. I stop walking, turn my head forward, and squeeze my eyes shut.

A split second passed and I felt something lightly brush against my cheek. I swore my heart stopped for a second and then began to beat at a much faster pace.

"Open your eyes. That wasn't too scary, was it?"

I slowly open my eyes and find Makoto is standing in front of me. I can't look him in the eye. "N-N-N-" I am lost for words again and can't find my voice. I began tugging at my skirt and my hair- a nervous habit of mine. Makoto rests his hand on my head and then gently leans forward, resting his forehead against mine. "I love you, [first name]-senpai."

On the inside, I freak out and imagine running away, but in reality, I just froze all movements. Could it be that he was telling the truth? Was I the girl he mentioned earlier? The one whom he said he had his eyes on? What to do? Should I have told him how I felt? Many thoughts passed through my mind within the span of a few seconds. I barely heard Makoto say something and had to ask him to repeat himself.

"How do you feel about me?"

I couldn't find my voice in that moment. I didn't know what to do. I feel like eternity passed before I found the courage to move. I reached up and took his hand off of my head and said, "C-Close your eyes."

I forced myself to look up and saw he obeyed my orders. My heart was pounding in my chest as I suddenly pushed myself up on my tiptoes and reached up with both hands.

I pulled his shoulders down towards me, forcing him to bend over. Before he could do or say anything and before I could chicken out, I pressed my lips to his cheek.

I hoped he understood what I was trying to convey.

**{AN} This was a short one but I hope you guys liked this chapter! Things will really pick up in the next one. **


	5. Chapter 5

I hated the [wall color] of my bedroom. I hated the color of the ceiling. I hated the color of my window blinds. Why did I choose such an ugly color? I never noticed until recently, that I very much disliked the colors I was seeing. I didn't realize that I was bad at choosing interior decorations until…it happened.

I stretched my sore legs in front of me and heard the familiar rattle of the chains that hadn't been disturbed for a while. Oh yeah, I hated that too. The sound that reminded me every time I moved my body that I was a prisoner was the worst noise in the world.

"Hey sweetheart," a voice said gently in the doorway. I didn't need to look up to know who it is.

He sat at the edge of my bed holding a plate of warm food. "Open up," he commanded.

Refusing to look over, I stared at the wall as I silently opened my mouth and felt a fork slide on my tongue. The food I ate didn't taste like anything I was familiar of. I couldn't remember the last time I could detect what I was eating, but I'm sure it was vegetables or something. He wouldn't feed me something gross.

"Look at me," the boy next to me said.

I don't remember looking over at him, but his face was suddenly filling my vision. The boy who had locked me away against my will. Oh, how I loved the way his hair fell over his face. I loved the color of his eyes, the tint of his skin, and the way his lips formed a smile whenever he saw me.

"What do you say?" he asked me.

"Thank you," I said. "I love you."

Yes, I loved him with everything I had.

"I love you too. I'm so glad you're mine, [first name]."

Mine. A word that meant I was bound to him in any way possible. Mine. A word that I couldn't escape.

Hearing him say those words is exactly why I hated him. I hated Makoto Tachibana with every fiber in my being, just as much as I loved him. He took away everything I had, and gave me everything I wanted at the same time. He was my sun as well as my moon.

"Maybe if you continue to be good," he said as he reached over and touched my ankle where the shackles stemmed, "I'll take these off."

Makoto wasn't always this way. Or maybe he was and I just didn't notice. When we started dating, he was much more…himself. He held my hand every time we were together and would open the door for me. His hugs always made me feel safe and his kisses would make my whole body warm up. He would always wait for me after school and send me text messages.

Then one day he was upset because I was late in meeting him after school. He thought I was cheating on him, and kept believing it even after I told him he was wrong.

After that day, he changed. I could tell he did. He became much more controlling. He wanted to see my cell phone often and told me not to talk to certain people. He walked me to and from each class and sat as close to me as possible during lunch. He begged to spend all day with me after school as well and tried to stay the night a few times.

And then he started to sneak into my house at night. One morning, I woke up to find an unknown container of food in my fridge, with a note taped on that read, "This is for you because you need to eat healthy food."

When I went to school that day, Makoto asked me, "Did you eat the food I left you?"

At that moment, I thought Makoto was creepy for sneaking into my house. I still thought so after that when I was thinking about it. I knew then, that I shouldn't have invited him over to my house. I lived alone, and that was the worst possible thing for me.

About a month passed since then when he got worse. I was in the supplies closet with another boy in my grade because we were looking for something for the teacher when someone locked the door from the outside. I was stuck in that damn supplies closet for about an hour with this boy from my class, and when the door was opened, I was looking into the eyes of a furious Makoto.

What happened next was the worst thing. He chained me to my own bed in my own house and wouldn't let me leave. I had been that way for a while. I couldn't tell how much time passed. Makoto stopped by everyday to monitor me after school and made sure I was still alive. He fed me healthy food and made me shower with him. He kept all objects he deemed dangerous away from me and he even took my cell phone away. He did all of these things to me, and I hated him for it. He took away my freedom because he didn't like that I spent time away from him and it made no sense.

I plead with him over and over and cried everyday. I called Makoto hurtful names and tried to kick him multiple times, but it was pointless. All of it was so pointless.

Despite the fact that he chained me to my own bed, and made sure to interrupt all my attempts at privacy, I realized I still loved him, and that's what I hated most. He was still nice to me and always cared for me. I couldn't tell why I still loved him. Maybe I was insane. I'd be okay with insane. It would excuse any and all of my thoughts that told me Makoto was still an okay guy.

"Tell me how your day was," Makoto said, interrupting me of my inner thoughts as to how we ended up the way we did.

I shrugged. "I stared at the wall and slept a lot like I always do," I answered him.

"I know you hate the situation we're in," Makoto said, shifting his weight to lean towards me. He touched my face lightly.

I wonder what gave him that idea.

"Things are going to get better, baby. I promise," he said before kissing my forehead.

Better? I didn't think that was possible. A thought passed my mind, one that I hadn't really thought before. I was going to escape. I didn't know how, but I was going to get out of there.

I don't own the characters of Free but Makoto does own you~


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up one morning looking at a familiar sleeping face. Makoto was holding me tightly like he usually did every night. I smiled, feeling a little happy because I was the only one who was able to see him like that.

I stretched out my legs and didn't hear the regular sound I normally heard. "Huh?" I looked down at my ankle to find that it was bare. Makoto had taken off my shackle. I couldn't believe it! Why did he do it? I wasn't complaining, I was just curious.

"Thank you," I whispered to him before lightly kissing his forehead. "I love you."

I unclasped his arms from around me and slipped out of bed. I tiptoed towards the door and successfully opened it quietly. I left the room and made my way towards the door.

Inches away from reaching out to touch the knob, I froze in my footsteps. Freedom. It was literally within reach. All I had to do was turn the knob, open the door, and make a dash for it. I was _so _close to escaping the hell Makoto created for me. I had been a prisoner in my own sanctuary for a long time, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't leave.

_Not yet at least_, I thought to myself. No, I wasn't going to leave just yet. If I just left, where would I go? We were in my own house for crying out loud! I had nowhere and no one to go to. My prison warden was the one who was also my freer. I didn't know what to do.

Don't get me wrong, there was no way in hell I was staying permanently, but I had to do some planning before escaping. I felt like my feet were tied to iron weights as I trudged back towards the kitchen.

Ten minutes passed when Makoto suddenly burst out of my bedroom. "[first name]!" He shouted my name frantically and then headed for the front door.

"Makoto?"

He looked back at me and the fear was so apparent on his face. He thought I had left, but alas, I was cooking breakfast. I turned off the stove and set the skillet on an unlit burner so it could cool. When I had turned back to Makoto, he was on his knees in front of me. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and leaned his head against my chest. I heard a sniffle escape from him. Wait, was he crying? No, that wasn't possible.

"I-I thought you had left me," he said.

I slowly put one hand on his back, and the other on his hair. "I'm still here," I said quietly.

"You can't leave me," he said. "I can't lose you, [first name]. I need you."

"I'm not going anywhere," I said. "I want you to trust me, Makoto. If I were going to try to escape, I would have done it already." I patted his head. "You and I both know I can't leave, right? This is my home, and you are my love." Half of what I was was true, while the other half was a lie. I smiled at my gentle giant, hoping he would believe me.

"I love you," he said before tugging me to the ground. I didn't understand, but allowed him to pull me to my knees either way. When I was kneeling like he was, he hugged me tightly. "I love you," he repeated before giving my hair a sharp tug. I winced at the pain, but otherwise didn't react. "Now you say it too."

"Do I really need to say it for you to believe it? I love you, Makoto."

Makoto pulled me into a deep kiss. The kiss didn't last for very long because my stomach gave a voluntary grumble. Makoto chuckled before he pulled away. "Someone is hungry," he said as he gave my stomach a pat.

"Good thing I made breakfast," I said before standing to my feet. I dished a plate for Makoto and held it out to him. "Want some? It's eggs. They're practically the only thing I can make without destroying the kitchen."

Makoto made no movement to take the plate and I said, "Wow, don't spare my feelings, whatever you do." I took a fork out of the drawer beside me and said, "I guess you really don't trust me, huh?" I stabbed some of the food with the fork and then stuffed it into my mouth. Damn, I made good eggs.

"See? I'm still standing," I said after swallowing the food. "Now do you want the eggs or not?"

Makoto smiled at me before taking the plate from me. He even took my fork. "That's mi-" I tried to stop him, but he used it anyway to eat some of the food.

"Gross," I commented before crossing my arms over my chest.

"These are delicious, honey. Thank you." Makoto gave me his award-winning smile and I relaxed.

"As long as you're happy, so am I!"

* * *

"Makoto."

"Hmmm?" he wondered innocently.

I shook my hand fiercely while glaring coldly at him. I heard the familiar noise again and said in an angry tone, "I thought you trust me enough." My wrist was bound to the my bed post and I sat cross legged on the mattress.

"I do, but then I don't," he said before kissing my forehead.

"Oh come on! This isn't fair!" I complained like a chid who didn't get the toy he wanted.

"Do you know what would be unfair? If you left me," he said.

I rolled my eyes.

"I can't risk the love of my life going anywhere without me. Please understand, [first name]."

"Whatever. Have a good day at school." I refused to look at him.

Makoto pressed his lips to my cheek and then whispered against my skin, "I hope we can reach the point where I won't need to keep a chain on you at all."

_Oh, I hope so too_, I thought to myself as I heard the door open and shut. I was once again alone by myself in the silence.

I don't know how many hours had passed, but at some point I had begun arguing with myself.

"If I break out now, he won't be able to find me….but it's Makoto I'm talking about. He would find me. He always would if I left, I know it…..but I can't stay here forever. I can't do this…..if I stay any longer, I'll become accustomed to my life. I can stay. I can't stay. I can stay. I can't stay.

I can't stay.

Something caused me to move. With a sudden burst of confidence, I stood up in the mattress and had to crouch down because the chain I was hooked to only went so far. I pressed one foot against the bed post to which the chain was wrapped around and then I started to push against it. If I put enough pressure against the post, it would break off the bed frame right? It wasn't a brand new frame by any means, and had been worn down by years of use, so I had to be able to do it.

The wooden frame started to creak in protest against the pressure, and I pushed even harder. A few seconds passed and shouted, "Come on! Break already!"

I strained myself to push harder- as hard as I could possibly try-and all of a sudden the wooden post creaked again, louder that time, and then the post fell to the ground.

"Yes!" I said as I pulled the loosened chain off my wrist. Without a second thought, I went to my closet and changed out of my nightgown into the first clothing I could find that was suitable enough. I quickly headed towards the kitchen and climbed on top of the counter in order to reach the top shelf a cabinet. I reached back into the cabinet and pulled out my emergency money jar to find it full. Good. Makoto didn't find it. I took all the money I had saved up and pushed myself off the counter.

When I headed towards the front door, I slipped my shoes on and had one last thought towards Makoto. _Sorry, Makoto. If I stay, I'll become used to this lifestyle. I really love you and I hope you become happy someday._

I opened the door and was blinded by the bright, welcoming sunlight. How long had it been since I last felt the warmth of the sun on my skin? Too long, in my opinion.


	7. Chapter 7

**{AN} I was too excited for this chapter and couldn't wait to upload it. I think it's the longest one yet~**

I lit off the porch of my small house, never having been so excited to leave that place. I didn't have time to open the short gate that separated my yard and the sidewalk (and didn't want to take the time, frankly), and hoisted myself over the metal blockade in a matter of seconds. I headed down the sidewalk as excitement mixed with fear flowed through my body. I was so worried about where I would go and what I would do, that I crashed right into another body.

I fell back on my butt due to the collision, and could barely believe who I ran into. I looked at the dark-haired boy who was in a similar position as I was. He grabbed a pair of red framed glasses and looked at me inquisitively.

"Ryugazaki?" I said his name.

"[first name]- senpai!" he said. "What are you doing here? I thought you had moved."

_So that's the lie Makoto had been telling everyone_, I thought as I stood to my feet.

"Sorry, Ryugazaki. Bye!" I started to maneuver around him when his hand shot out and grabbed my arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" the tall boy asked me in a low voice.

"I have to go! Let me go!" I slapped his hand, but he made no move to release my arm. "He'll find me!"

"Who? Makoto? He's at practice right now. He won't be done for about another hour," Rei told me.

"Why aren't _you_ at practice?" I asked him as I eyed his school uniform.

"That's my business," he said. "Now, the real question is: What happened to you? We thought you moved."

"Well I didn't!" I told him. "Makoto has been keeping me prisoner!" I noticed Rei's eyes glaze over as if he felt shocked over the news I was telling him. "Tell me, how long has it been since I was at school last?"

"Three and a half months," Rei told me.

"I can't stay here anymore, Ryugazaki! I got out of there, and now I'm looking for somewhere to go. I can't tell you anymore but please let me go! I'll punch you if you don't!"

Ryugazaki let go of my arm reluctantly and then pulled his backpack off his shoulders. "Wait, senpai. Here." He pulled out a sheet of paper and a pencil. He scribbled something down on the paper and then held it out to me. "Go to this hotel, and tell the receptionist you know me. She'll help you. She's a friend of one of my relatives."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked as I reached out and took the paper.

"Because I want to see you happy, senpai. I want to see you free of Makoto. I want to tell you I don't believe he has been keeping you prisoner, but I can't. Go now, senpai."

"Please don't tell him you saw me."

"I won't do such a thing."

"Thank you," I said to him before bowing. I turned around and pushed myself into a jog, which eventually turned into a run.

My legs haven't been in much use for a few months, so I got tired easily, but I pushed myself mentally to go on. I made sure I didn't stop for a breathe. Ryugazaki said Makoto would be out of practice in an hour, but how much truth was there to that? I acted like Makoto was on my tail as I made my way through crowds full of people who shouted angry complaints towards me. I couldn't blame the people who did that though. If I saw me running through town like a maniac, I'd shout things at me too.

I made it to the hotel that Ryugazaki wrote down and told the receptionist I know him. She showed me to a room I could use for a low price and left me alone.

I took a shower to help relax my aching muscles as well as get clean. I couldn't describe how nice it felt to be able to wash myself without having Makoto with me.

Makoto.

I wondered how he was doing. He probably already figured out I was gone. I hoped he wouldn't go looking for me. Not just because I didn't want him finding me, but because I wanted him to be happy. Without me.

I sighed as I plopped down on one of the hotel beds. The sheets felt so nice and soft against my skin. Maybe I was just really happy no one was there with me.

I did have to admit it was strange not having Makoto crawl into bed with me. It was weird not seeing him give me a smile and a kiss every night like he did. It was weird not having his warm body hold mine close.

My happiness of freedom slowly morphed into something akin to loneliness as I rolled to my side and pulled my knees up to my chest. It was going to be difficult not having my gentle giant with me all the time, but it was part of the necessary process for healing.

I was woken up by something shaking my shoulder. I thought it was a hand, so as soon as I had my eyes open, I said, "Makoto?"

"Not quite," a voice answered me.

I immediately jumped and reached over to turn the lamp on. I blinked hard when I met a familiar face. "Ryugazaki?"

"Hey senpai," he said as he sat on the edge of my bed.

For some reason my heart was beating wildly and I tried to calm it down. "Thank you so much for allowing me to stay here," I told him with a smile.

"Makoto is on his way," Rei said, giving me a cold glare.

"What?" I asked, immediately moving to stand up. "What do you mean?"

"Shhh," Rei grabbed my arm gently but firmly and pulled me back down to sit on the bed with him. "You must stay here so he can come get you."

"What do you mean? You said I could stay here!" Slowly, my voice level began to rise.

"You did stay," he said as if it were obvious. "Now it's time for you to go back."

I yanked my arm back, unsuccessfully pulling it out of Rei's grasp.

He pulled me towards him and our faces were inches apart when he said, "Do you know what you do to Makoto? After that cell phone incident a while ago, I knew he was under your spell, senpai. He slowly started to become more brighter, happier in a way. It got to the point where he would smile every time he saw you across the court yard. When you two entered a relationship, he became the happiest person I've ever met. It made me happy to see him that way, and it was because of you. Don't you get it, [first name]? You're the only girl for him. I can't let the captain of the swim team fall into depression because you made the selfish decision to leave. He will be here any second, so let's just wai-"

I couldn't take listening to the boy for another second and punched him as hard as I could. I could feel the skin on my knuckles tear as he fell to the ground, but I ignored the pain and crossed the bed as fast as I could. I shot out of the hotel room and headed down a hall.

My already aching legs protested, but I forced myself to go on. I shouldn't have trusted Ryugazaki. I never should have trusted him. I didn't even really talk to him in school, so why did I put my life in his hands so quickly?

I headed into the hotel cafeteria, hoping there would be an exit that led somewhere that wasn't the front door.

Yes! There was a door that led out in an alleyway! As soon as I burst out the door, I couldn't help but sigh in relief and rest my hands on my knees. If I didn't take a short break, I was going to pass out. I wanted nothing more than to sit down and go into starfish mode, but I couldn't.

"What's this? Has a little kitten lost her way?" a creepy voice said in the empty air. I think I was the one being referred to, and I turned around to see four men smiling at me. They looked like dangerous thugs, and I was suddenly afraid. The funny thing was, that I wasn't as afraid of them as I was afraid of Makoto.

"Do you need help, dollface?" one asked as he approached me.

I jumped back and said, "I'm not in the mood! Leave me alone!" I sounded fiercer than I felt.

"Oh ho~" another said. "This one is fiery."

"I swear I'll do something if you come closer!" I said when two of them started to walk towards me. What could I have done? I was a weakling compared to those men. I knew it, and I think they did too. All four of them started to advance on me as I unconsciously began to back away.

Another new voice broke the suspension behind me. "What are you doing to my princess?" someone said in a truly terrifying voice.

I froze on the spot and slowly turned around to see Makoto standing there. I couldn't put my finger on the expression he wore because there were many of them as he stared at the four men who stood on the other side of me. I saw fear, anger, craze, desperation. Gone was my bright and happy and slightly intimidating giant. I was looking at the face of a crazy person.

"Yo man, we didn't know she was yours," one of the four men said.

"Y-Yeah, we'll leave you to her," another said as Makoto walked past me towards them. I didn't have time to react as Makoto grabbed one of the men by the shoulder. He pulled him close, and then pushed the man away. I watched as he fell to the ground with blood gushing immediately from his abdomen. I gasped as Makoto turned towards another and shoved a knife through his stomach much like the first time. He did the same to the third man, and the fourth one barely had time to escape the knife that dug into his back.

It happened in a matter of seconds. Makoto stood among the four still bodies. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he turned towards me. I didn't know what expression I wore, but it had to be fear. I wanted to turn and flee the scene, but my feet wouldn't move.

Red liquid covered Makoto's right hand, which held the bloody knife. The crazed expression left his face as he continued to stare at me from where he was. He suddenly smiled gently at me.

"That was pretty scary, huh?" he asked gently. His left hand, which was free of any stains, was suddenly extended towards me. "These men can't touch you anymore. You're safe now..." His voice was so warm and inviting as he spoke to me. I felt mesmerized by him, and then suddenly remembered what happened.

"You're going to kill me now, huh?" I asked him.

Makoto dropped the knife in his hand and then he said, "Huh?" Confusion knitted his eyebrows as he gave me a confused look. "Kill you? Why would I do that? You know I won't hurt you...come here, baby."

I hated myself for walking towards him in the next moment. What was making me go towards him? I didn't understand.

When I reached him, Makoto raised his left hand to the back of my head. He held me gently as he leaned his forehead against mine. "You're safe," he whispered. "You're safe now, [first name]. Nothing and no one can hurt you now. But do you know who is hurt?"

"The men on the ground," I answered.

"_Me_," he said in my ear, "I can't understand why you would leave me." Makoto suddenly straightened up and chuckled as he pulled me even closer to him. He pushed my head against his chest and then ran his hand down to my lower back. "I guess it doesn't matter now, huh? After we go back, I'm going to quit school so I can be with you even longer. We're going to move away from this stupid town so we can start fresh. We're going to be even happier than we are now, baby. Doesn't that sound nice?"

When I didn't reply, his hand that rested on my back suddenly twisted in the ends of my hair and gave it a sharp tug. "Tell me it sounds nice."

"You will never let me go, will you?" I suddenly asked as I looked up to meet his eyes.

He smiled at me. "Of course not. You're my woman." He gave my hair another quick, yet gentle, tug and my head was leaning back. Makoto pulled me into a deep kiss and then cradled my face with his hand. "I love you."

Makoto suddenly looked to his left and smiled. He straightened out again and put his arm around my waist. "Thanks for your help, Rei-chan!"

I turned my head to see Ryugazaki was standing in the doorway to the hotel cafeteria. How long had he been standing there? Creepy.

"It was no problem, Makoto," Rei said. I noticed the dark circle on his cheek and smiled smugly.

"Let's go home sweetheart," Makoto said to me.

_I'm scared_, I thought suddenly as I clung to his shirt.

"What are you scared of?" he asked me in a whisper. Did I say that out loud?

"What's going to happen to us?"

"Didn't I tell you already?" Makoto sounded a little irritated. "We're going to move to another town and be together everyday, forever. I'm going to make sure you won't escape me again, and you'll keep me satisfied because you're you."

I lean my forehead against the giant's chest and closed my eyes. As much as I hated to admit it, I felt safe and secure with him. I didn't know what to do, but I did say, "I guess I missed you."

"I missed you much more," he told me. "I couldn't handle it when I found out you left. My heart broke, but now it's healed."

"Ahem," someone cleared their throat and I looked to see Rei was still standing there.

"Why haven't you left yet?" I asked him.

Makoto slid his fingers through mine and squeezed my hand tightly. "Doesn't matter. It's time to go home."

**{AN} This was meant to be the end chapter but if you guys want an epilogue, I'll be more than happy to give you one. **

**I don't own the characters of Free! in any way, but Makoto owns you **


	8. Epilogue (Version 1)

**Okay you guys, here's what I did. I made two different epilogues! **

**The first one is here and is a different version from the second one, which will be uploaded soon. **

**Please don't hate me!**

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

I sat on the floor of my bedroom, surrounded by boxes filled with my things. I had just finished putting all of my clothes in some of those boxes, and had decided to take a break.

Footsteps approached the room and the door creaked open. "[First name]?" Makoto said my name as he walked towards me. I looked up at him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I nodded my head and Makoto crouched down. Even squatting, he was still a little taller than I was. He reached out and pulled my head forward so I was leaning against his chest. "This move will be good for us," he told me.

"Mmmhmmm," I quietly agreed.

"Are you still mad over what happened?" Makoto asked, a slight tone of his own anger seeping into his voice.

"No," I told him.

"Good!" Makoto said, happily. "Come on. Let me show you what I did."

I didn't want to see what he did. I didn't want to look at what he did. I had already seen it once before, and it was plenty enough for me. I didn't say that though for I feared he would get mad, and I stood to my feet, allowing Makoto to guide me out of the room.

Makoto held my hand tightly as he led me through the house, to the backyard. He stood with me on the porch, and had me stand in front of him so he could wrap his arms around me from behind. "See that tree over there?" Makoto pointed at a large tree that stood only a few feet from us.

I nodded.

"Right underneath it is where he is," Makoto said, tightening his hold on me.

I could see the freshly turned soil from where Makoto had dug a hole and filled it back up. It disgusted me so much on the inside, yet I couldn't react to it like I did the first time. Maybe it was because that sort of thing had already happened? Did the shock from the first time ready me for the second time? I should have been crying or something, but I just stood there motionlessly.

"What do you think?" Makoto asked.

"I think the next family that will live here will be surprised if they dig it up," I told him.

"That won't happen," Makoto said, "The hole is quite deep."

I was quite for a few seconds. I was torn between being glad the hole was dug deep and wishing the hole wasn't deep. I almost wanted the next family to find _it _so Makoto could be thrown in jail and I would be free of him.

My spine suddenly straightened at the thought, and I perked up. Was it possible to get Makoto thrown in jail? He was with me twenty four hours everyday, so it would be near impossible but...it was worth a try right?

Thinking maybe the impossible was possible, I turned around in Makoto's arms and looked up at him. "I'm glad we're moving."

"You are?" Makoto started to grin. "That's the first time I've heard you say that."

I nodded my head. "Please take me away from here," I told him.

Makoto kissed my forehead and said, "We're out of here tomorrow."

I closed my eyes and suddenly felt a new excitement bubble up within me. It was more hope than excitement, honestly. I was ready for this.

The next day, as I was handing the wife of the new family the deed to the house, I slipped another piece of paper into her pocket. She looked at me with widened eyes, and I nodded softly. I walked towards Makoto who was waiting for me by our car. "What was that you put in her pocket?" he asked me.

"It was just a store receipt she dropped earlier by accident," I told him. I stood on my tiptoes and pulled Makoto down to meet me by the collar of his shirt. I pressed a kiss to his cheek and turned to climb into the passenger seat of the car.

A week passed, and we had settled down in our new home.

One night, I was curled up with Makoto in bed. Well, he had one arm around me and was laying behind me. I didn't know if he was awake, and I whispered his name.

"Yes?" he muttered, somewhere between being awake and being asleep.

It took me a few seconds to realize my eyes were watering. "I'm pregnant," I whispered to him.

"What?" Makoto suddenly sounded more awake this time. He turned me around to face him and he pressed his forehead against mine. "Are you really?"

I nodded my head.

"Why are you crying?" he asked.

By that time tears were freely falling down my face. I shook my head. "Are you happy?" I asked him.

"I am if you are," Makoto said, kissing the tears on my cheeks.

I nodded my head. "I am," I told him. "I'm really happy."

"Then I am too," he said, kissing my lips.

The tears continued falling down my face in the following silence. They even continued falling as our front door was broken down, and policemen filed into our room.

Five officers stood in our bedroom, each of them held guns aimed at Makoto.

"What is this?" he asked as he was pulled to his feet by a sixth officer with a pair of handcuffs.

"Tachibana Makoto you are under arrest for the murder of two innocents," the sixth officer told him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Makoto said as his own tears pricked his eyes. The tormented look on his face was one I would never forget.

"We were tipped by the wife of the family who bought your last house," one of the officers explained to Makoto. "She said she was told by [Last] [First] about your victims whereabouts. Fingerprints found on both bodies confirmed it was you who killed them."

Makoto's eyes met mine. Tears continued to fall down my face, and I could see Makoto was crying too.

"It was you?" he whispered. He looked and sounded so heartbroken, my heart was hurting.

"You killed those two men, Makoto. You made me move in the first place, and I was happy at first, but then you killed the first man. We moved again, and you killed another. How could I sit by while you kill innocents?"

"I was protecting you!" Makoto told me. "They were going to hurt you!"

"No they weren't," I whispered.

"I love you [First name]! You were the only woman I ever wanted, so why..." Makoto was breathing heavily, "why you?"

"I just told you," I said. "I can't sit by while you kill people, Makoto."

"[First name]..."

"I love you...Makoto. I'm always going to love you."

From where I sat, I could see the tears fall down Makoto's cheeks. He looked so hurt and half of me wanted to hold him, but the other half of me wanted to laugh. He brought his misfortune upon himself.

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**I don't own the characters of Free!**


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